Here’s a joke for you:
A mariachi accordionist, deathgrind vocalist, and a Mexican drug cartel lord walk into a bar…
Yeah, last night was weird.
Pinata Protest was the first band to take the stage and the band that stole my heart. They are a mariachi punk band that will have you craving Mexican food within the first song.
Singer, accordionist, and pocket trumpet player Alvaro Del Norte was mesmerizing to watch and impossible to understand. The way he would dance around with his accordion flying through the air was definitely a sight to be seen.
The music was high paced and fun but still had a very punk element to it. Even though majority of the crowd couldn’t understand what Alvaro was saying in between songs, they still responded with shouts and fist pumps. Unfortunately, Pinata Protest’s set was far too short and it seemed like they were leaving the stage just after they got on stage. Even though I didn’t go to the show for these guys, they ended up being my favorite of the night.
Cattle Decapitation was up next. This is the band that got me out of the house and wanting to go to the show. These guys are legends in the deathgrind metal scene and they proved why that is during their set last night. They have been around for almost twenty years and I’ve seen them live countless times. Just like all of the other shows, I was blown away by the singer’s, Travis Ryan, voice. It is brutal and unrelenting. Every single not is screamed with a craft that many people don’t have no matter how hard they try.
Headlining the night was Brujeria. As usual, I knew nothing about these guys but just before they started, the promoter (who is a friend of mine), came up to me and asked me if I knew about these guys. I instantly got on my phone and started looking them up and was super intrigued by what I found.
First off, these guys have been around for 27 years. How have they been around that long and I had never heard of them? The bigger shock was who was in the band. Brujeria is a super group of sorts and a revolving door of some of the biggest musicians in the scene. Jello Biafra, singer of The Dead Kennedys, was the first vocalist for this band. Billy Gould, of Faith No More was the bassist towards the beginning of this band’s life. Dino Cazares (Fear Factory), Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory), Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy), and Tony Campos (Fear Factory) have all played with Brujeria at one point. Reading up on this band and realizing who all has played with them, both live and on recordings, had my jaw on the floor.
Even with all of the famous people who have worked with this band, none of them are more infamous that their singer, Juan Brujo. Juan has been rumored to be a satanic Mexican drug lord and, although all signs point to this just being a front, it definitely leaves a bit of mystery around this band. The bandanas around the members’ faces and the machetes that were hanging from their pants just added to the feeling of this band really being part of the cartel.
Brujeria was not alone on stage. Throughout their long set, members of the crowd would find their way onto the stage to get a picture with the legendary members and wave Mexican flags in the air. The members of the band didn’t seem to mind and would go ahead and take pictures with these random people. For a band with such a violent reputation, it was hilarious to watch them pose for the pictures.
Last night definitely ranks in the top ten weirdest shows I’ve ever found myself at but, as usual, I regret nothing and am definitely happy I went.
